Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“In the flesh.” He looks with distaste to the dead soldier between us. “Get him out,” he tells a soldier who steps forward and pulls the body out, letting it drop to the ground like it’s garbage. “Put the gun down, sis. You don’t want to hurt yourself.”
I look at it. I didn’t realize I was still holding it. I put it down.
“Bring her.” He tells one of the soldiers.
He reaches in, undoes my belt and hauls me out, setting me on the ground in front of my brother.
“How did you get to me?” I ask, shaking so badly I wrap my arms around myself. I’m not sure it’s the cold or the shock. Probably the latter though.
He grins proudly. “That Enzo?” he asks.
I glance over to see Enzo’s face. It’s bloodied and bruised and he’s either unconscious or dead. I nod. “I think he’s dead,” I say, even though I’m not sure. I don’t want them to shoot him.
One of the guards goes to drag him out.
Malek walks up alongside my brother. He’s wearing his usual suit, looking relaxed and casual.
“Leave him. Don’t waste a bullet,” he tells the soldier. “You got her. Well done, Michael,” he says to my brother. He looks me over, seeing all the blood and guts doing nothing to his smile.
“Of course I did,” Michael says.
Malek turns to him, cocks his head. “Of course you did,” he repeats just before turning to Rami who is standing behind Michael. He’s still smiling as he gives a small nod of his head.
I realize what is about to happen just before Michael does.
No. I’m not sure Michael sees it coming at all. And in some way, I hope he doesn’t.
“No!” I yell as the gun is cocked and fired and Malek takes a step to the side to avoid Michael’s body falling into him. To avoid getting blood on his suit, although he does. Blood splatters and gets everywhere.
I drop to my knees beside my brother’s body and somehow, I’m not screaming. I’m not screaming in this darkest of nights when I have lost the last of my family. Cars drive by on the highway unaware of the massacre here just on the other side of the wall. I take Michael’s head in my lap, look at his still open eyes. Empty eyes. He’s gone.
I look up to find Malek watching me. He glances at Michael’s face then looks back to me.
“He was always a useless brat, wasn’t he?”
“What did you do?” I hiss. “What did you do?”
His eyes darken, go flat. I know this look. The death inside him. I’ve seen it before although he’s been so good at hiding it from Michael. I think my father saw it too. I think that’s why he kept him at arm’s length in the end.
“You were always too fucking dramatic. Let’s go.” He turns, signals to Rami, because they are all his soldiers, not Michael’s. I’m hauled to my feet.
I lunge at Malek as soon as I’m up, and even though Rami holds me back by one arm, I manage to slap Malek hard across his face, so hard his head jerks to the left.
“I will kill you! I will fucking kill you!”
He chuckles as Rami grips both my arms, immobilizing me.
Malek touches his lip where I see blood. He must have bit it. He looks at his finger, then up at me. He raises his arm and slaps me and if Rami wasn’t holding me up, I’d fall to the ground with the force of it. But he’s not done yet because with the back of his hand he slaps me once more before gripping my jaw, my ears ringing as he holds me still, as he gives my eyes time to focus on him even as my head spins.
“No, Allegra, you won’t kill me. You’ll get on your knees and thank me for allowing you to live every day for the rest of what may be a very short life.”
I hate him. I’ve always hated him. I never thought he could do anything, though. Amal warned me. And now, my brother is dead, his blood seeping into this dirty road.
“I will fucking kill you,” I tell him and he digs his fingers into my jaw and his smile widens, just before he slams my head hard against the one unbroken window of the car. The impact sends me crashing to my knees in that bloody asphalt and one final blow from the butt of a soldier’s gun knocks me out.